Thursday, December 29, 2016

We have release the latest and greatest schedule update as of January 2nd, 2017. This is the final schedule release. The teams that were effected by this final release were only effected on the final day, Saturday, Jan. 7th.

Reminder, this year we have added Paschal High School as a playing location which is turf. Also, the Gateway Park location is NOT the turf fields that we have used in the past but the field are beautifully manicured natural grass fields that are in the first parking lot that you pass going to the turf complex.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Thirty-six of the top teams in the country are attending NEPS2017 with more then half being from out of town. We are very excited to have our California schools back as well.

Santa Margarita returns for their 6th event and Liberty is in their 4th year. Carondelet Catholic is back for their second time, last event being in 2004, as well as Harvard-Westlake. Sierra Canyon and Grace Brethren are newcomers traveling west this year from So Cal.

First timers coming this year are Paschal High School, Byron P Steele High School, and Pflugerville Hendrickson. We look forward to adding you to our NEPS family.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

A personalized Web site for National Elite Prep Showcase Presented by JATO Athletics occurring (January 5-7, 2016) has been created for our teams. We have negotiated blocks of rooms for our teams and fans. The hotel is a full service hotel providing player lounges for the teams/players to study, use the internet, and socialize as they please. The hotel will provide team meeting space for all teams which you can sign up for times upon arrival so your teams can get the proper preparation needed to compete in one of the top showcases in the country. CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Thursday, January 14, 2016

HS: Harr highlights Best of NEPS team

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) defended its No. 1 position, youthful Marcus(Flower Mound, Texas) showed it might be a force this season, and Texas, in general, made quite a statement at the National Elite Prep Showcase over the weekend.

Eight teams -- all from Texas -- went undefeated while visitors from California and Florida were held to a combined losing record for the first time at the 34-team girls soccer showcase.

The following is our TopDrawerSoccer.com Best of NEPS summary:

TOP PERFORMERS

The annual NEPS All-Tournament team is selected through a combination of of staff evalustions and votes from coaches of the participating schools. Jordan Harr, who suffered a season-ending injury in the closing minues of the final match Saturday was a runner-up winner for MVP.

The Texas Tech-bound superstar scored six goals and assisted on two others to lead Sachse (Sachse, Texas) to a 3-0-1 showing.

Harr's high school coach confirmed that Harr broken an ankle in four places during a play late in the final match. Harr is expected to be sidelined for four months.

NEPS Day 2 Top Performers

Day 2 of the Natonal Elite Prep Showcase wrapped up Friday, and some familiar faces return to the list for the day's top performaners.

K Peyton Bauman, Marcus (Texas), Jr.: With the match still in the balance, Bauman made a great diving save to her left to deny [Santa Margarita ca-]w (Calif.) what appeared to be a sure goal in what ended up as a 2-0 Marcus win. Bauman, who is committed to Missouri, has three shutouts to start the season.

D Brooke Boisvert, Midlothian (Texas), Jr.: After returning from a near-death accident about eight months ago, Boisvert has emerged as a defensive leader for Midlothian, which is a surprising 2-0-1 at NEPS. Boisvert is central a three-person defense that blanked Grapevine (Texas), marking the team's first win over the Mustangs.

F Stefani Doyle, Hebron (Texas), Sr.: Doyle factored in all four of the team’s goals in a 5-4 loss to Sachse. She scored one and assisted on three others.

M/D Allisyn Gardner, Southlake Carroll (Texas), Jr.: Gardner, as a holding midfielder, helped put the clamps on Montverde Academy (Fla.) standout Nathali Da Silva, who was held without a goal. Also, once Gardner was pushed forward a bit, Southlake started to mount more serious attacks, which led to two goals.

F Alexandria Griffin, Southlake Carroll (Texas), Jr.: The Texas A&M commit scored three goals Friday, pushing her three-match total to five. Very athletic and a strong finisher, Griffin’s addition to Southlake Carroll’s lineup will make the Dragons tough to contain this season.

M Jordan Harr, Sachse (Texas), Sr.: One of the nation’s top prospects delivered big-time on Friday. She scored two of the team’s final three goals in a 5-4 win over Hebron (Texas) and netted the last two in a 4-4 draw with Keller (Texas). For the day, Harr had four goals and two assists.

F Cyera Hintzen, Sachse (Texas), Sr.: Harr and Hintzen are a dangerous pair at Sachse. In fact, their return was the reason for a lofty preseason national ranking. They are delivering on the offensive side as evidence by nine goals in two Friday matches. Hintzen hadone goal and three assists as the team is off to a 2-0-1 start.

F Taylor Moon, Marcus (Texas), So.: Moon delivered the first two goals and set up the third as Marcus defeated Santa Margarita (Calif.) to start an impressive two-win day. Moon was very active on the offensive end, practically demanding the ball and creating scoring chances. Moon is committed to Baylor.

F Berklee Peters, Keller (Texas), Jr.: Peters has scored at least one goal in each of Keller’s first three matches as the team has built a 2-0-1 record. The tie was a wild 4-4 draw with SIMA FAB 50 Top 10-ranked Sachse (Texas).

NEPS Day 1 Top Performers

Day 1 of the Natonal Elite Prep Showcase wrapped up Thursday and featured several of the nation's top winter-playing girls teams, and along with it plenty of elite talent.

M Hannah Allred, Nolan Catholic (Texas), Jr.: She was dangerous once she got the ball. She also moved well and was very versatile -- playing both fom the left and right sides. Allred is committed to SMU(w).

M Courtney Corrin, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.), Sr.: Exceptionally fast and very good on the ball. She had a back-heel pass to herself that left the defender all tied up.

F Grace Cory, Southlake Carroll (Texas), Sr.: One of the top players at NEPS last year is back at it again this year. Cory scored twice to help finish off Southlake Carroll's first opponent. Cory is committed to Texas A&M(w).

F Nathalia Da Silva, Montverde Academy (Fla.), Sr.: Perhaps the most polished, uncommitted senior in the nation. A native of Brazil is not a burner but is exceptionally fast and confident with the ball at her feet. She's very dangerous in 1-v-1 situations. Da Silva already has 35 goals this season, in 16 matches.

D Sara Houchin, Coppell (Texas), Jr.: She's the "safety net." Houchin is an outstanding outside defender, but also makes her presence known in the attack. Her perfectly played, left-footed pass sprung a teammate for a breakaway that led to a game-opening penalty kick, which she converted. Despite being a junior, she was selected as team captain by her teammates. Houchen is committed to Auburn(w).

M Taylor Jordan, McKinney Boyd (Texas), So.: Jordan spent time at attacking mid and outside mid and gave Boyd some very important minutes. Her pass to Celia Hilsabeck resulted in the team's first goal in a 2-0 win.

F Allie Luna, Southlake Carroll (Texas), Sr.: One of several offensive weapons in a loaded Southlake Carroll lineup. Although a forward by nature, her play on this night was setting up teammates for goals while scoring one of her own. Luna is committed to Kansas State(w).

F McKenzie McFarland, Coppell (Texas), So.: McFadden stepped into a new role and was very active in the attacking third. She provided a lot of movement - side-to-side and pushing up and getting back. She kept the defenses guessing where she was going to be next. McFarland is committed to Texas(w).

M Taylor Moon, Marcus (Texas), So.: Moon had a goal and two assists in her season debut with the Marauders. She's very active, checking back for the ball and able to turn and attack. Moon is committed to Baylor(w).

M Atupele Mshana, Bishop Lynch (Texas), Sr.: A defender by trade, Mshana has been pushed into the midfield on the high school team in order create some offense for a squad that graduated seven seniors from last year's title-winning team. Mshana was a physical presence. Mshana is committed to Texas(w).

M Tyler Runnels, Coppell (Texas), So.: Had a flick into the side net, and hit a legit volley with power. Runnels, who has committed to Arkansas, may emerge as the team's top offensive threat this season. Runnels is committed to Arkansas.

D Sofia Salonen, Montverde Academy (Fla.), Jr.: The junior defender scored Montverde Academy's first goal and was a steady defender. A strength of her gam were her quality distrubtions, even when under pressure. She's from Finland, and it has not been decided if she will finish up her education in the U.S. or return to Finland next school year.

M Jackie Stacy, Plano West (Texas), So.: Stacy did a good job holding up and slowing, at times, Nolan's Allred.

D Holly Streber, [Vandergrift tx-w] (Texas), Jr.: Very solid in the back who has the ability to play simple and consice. Streber has committed to Texas State.

D Grace Wall, Plano West (Texas), Sr.: Wall is fast, keep position well and had great vision. Her play helped Plano West hold Nolan Catholic scoreless.

M Chelsee Washington, Hebron (Texas), Sr.: Washington scored the first goal and proceeded to dminant the midfield the rest of the match as Hebron defeated Harvard-Westlake. Washington is committed to Bowling Green(w).

NEPS: Coming of age for Marcus

FORT WORTH, Texas – Some would consider a lineup with one senior, three juniors and seven sophomores grounds for a rebuilding season.

For Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas), it’s viewed as the start of something special.

Sophomores delivered all five of the team’s goals Friday as the Marauders pulled off two nationally impressive shutout wins in less than eight hours at the National Elite Prep Showcase. SIMA FAB 50 No. 26 Marcus first defeated perennial California power No. 49 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) 3-0, then ended a 33-match undefeated streak by No. 2 Coppell (Coppell, Texas) in a 2-0 contest.

“They have talent, focus, drive, and they are hungry,” Marcus coach Chad Hobbs said of the sophomore class, six of whom started last year as freshmen. “To do what they did today, it legitimatizes what we are doing. It shows them that we can play with anybody in the state, anybody the nation.”

Taylor Moon, a Baylor commit, scored the first two goals, then assisted one by Kaity Hemperly in Marcus’ win over Santa Margarita, which had won nine of its previous 10 matches before travelling to Texas. Alabamacommit Riley Mattingly and Baylor commit Maddison Algya scored in the nightcap win over Coppell, handing the Cowgirls their first loss since the 2014 playoffs.

Through Friday’s play, Marcus is one of three teams at 3-0 in the 34-team event, along with SIMA FAB 50 No. 1 Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) and No. 7 Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas).

The match had major national ranking implications as Southlake needed the win to stay No. 1 and Montverde was looking for a victory to up its own ranking, not to mention help justify other Florida teams, as well.

Montverde controlled play the first 20 minutes, then Southlake took over, leading to an Alexandria Griffin with 7:30 left in the half. Just as it was appearing to be a 1-0 halftime score, Sydney Nobles made a run on the right wing, and sent a pass back to Khalilian, whose strike toward the left post went unchallenged by the Montverde keeper.

“They had the better of play the first 15-20 minutes, then we made some adjustments,” Southlake coach Matt Colvin said. “We stepped the midfield up because we were getting too far back. Once we did that, we started to put [Montverde] under pressure.”

“In the first 20 minutes, we needed to score,” Montverde Academy coach Robbie Aristodemo said. “We needed someone to step up and finish, and we didn’t get it.”

SCORING FRENZY: Two nationally ranked teams were locked in a defensive struggle – then the second half started. Sachse (Sachse, Texas) rallied from three two-goal deficits to stun Hebron (Hebron, Texas) 5-4 on Friday in a match were the teams combined for eight goals in a 20-minute stretch.

Hebron held leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 before Sachse closed out the match with the last three scores for the hockey-like final. Jordan Harr scored two of the last three goals, including the game winner.

MORE GOOSE EGGS: Friday was a bit more of a scorefest, yet there were still 24 shutouts in the 31 matches played. Overall, that puts the two-day total at 38 shutouts in 47 matches.